The problem for the athlete again is that their retirement comes 25-30 years before a normal retirement age for most other careers. They have spent their whole lives focusing on their sport, and then have difficulty grasping so many years without it.
It is certainly true that many athletes successfully transition into coaching or broadcasting after retiring, so they stay connected with the environment they are used to. However, I would guess that many athletes struggle with the steps they need to take in the next part of their lives. Change is always a scary thought for many people.
There is one retirement that sticks out to me in sports more than any other—that of Barry Sanders.
Barry Sanders was the most electrifying player to watch in his time, hands down. His retirement from the NFL was both abrupt and unexpected. I, along with many others, expected and hoped for Barry to return to the league after a year or two. However, he did not.
Sanders’ retirement represents an idea that has skyrocketed in popularity throughout the media—the art of going out on top.
John Elway, Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, and almost Pedro Martinez (he had several conversations mentioning early retirement) have all followed this path.
This category of retirement usually works out great for the players. The only exception I would argue is Tiki Barber, only because his team won the Super Bowl the year after his departure. However, the complaints in this category usually come from the teams or the fans.
Nobody else involved in football was glad to see Barry Sanders go. Not the Lions. Not the NFL. And absolutely not the fans.
Retiring from a sport is a tricky business. In a profession that is so extensively followed by the general population, it’s very difficult to please everybody.
Most players retire with little to no fanfare, but timing when to retire for a superstar is always heavily scrutinized.
However, it seems that the superstars always win. Going out on top, and perhaps leaving earlier than expected, always preserves the players’ image. And, staying around too long still gives the player the chance to do something they love on a national stage.
The choice of when to retire can only be made by the potential retiree, and in the world of professional sports, it is difficult for many of us to accept that.
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